Well, it has been a minute since we have traveled anywhere interesting. Something about a baby. Since it was Father’s Day—we decided to start the annual tradition of traveling with Ripley somewhere international. I am unsure if Ripley is fully aware that he has committed to this forever and ever, but as I write this and memorialize it officially in this blog—it is happening!
I found a flight to Mazatlán via Viva Aerobus that worked with our schedules. Think Spirit Airlines in Mexico. It was a fine airliner, but you need to purchase a carry-on bag. We flew out of Tijuana, so our first task was to get across the border. The cross-border express zipped us through without any issue, and the three of us were in Mexico within 15 minutes.
The flight was smooth, with no issues; we landed in Mazatlán, hopped in a taxi, and were at our resort (Riu Emerald Bay Mazatlán) in no time. The hotel was all-inclusive on the beach, with 6 pools, 5 restaurants, and entertainment throughout the day. We arrived at night, so we were ready to hit a buffet after getting “Party Boy” set up in the room. Following dinner, we had a low-key evening in the hotel room.
The next morning, I got up early, made reservations at Tabasco (one of the two restaurants that required reservations), and then wandered around the property with Ripley. Once Grant woke up, we made our way for a quick dip in the pool. Ripley loves swimming. He does not like pool floats, but if you hold him in the water or let him stand, he is great!
Around 1 pm, we all got ready to go on our Mazatlán City Tour. We took a “Pulmonia,” a major part of Mazatlán’s transportation system. They convert any make and model you could imagine (VW, Mercedes, etc.) into convertibles. Pulmonia evidently means pneumonia in English, and the cars got their name from people developing pneumonia since the open-air cooled people down by the water, getting them sick. It's not the ideal name for a vehicle, in my opinion, but it seems to be okay in that area!
Our driver, Ernesto, picked us up from the hotel and drove us around. We started at the marina, where large boats and yachts docked out. We then drove our way through Malecon de Mazatlán. It was a large boardwalk that wrapped itself around the beaches. The area was littered with tourists, shops, and restaurants every step of the way. We made our way to the Spanish Fort, where we saw the highest natural lighthouse in the world. Then down to the Golden Zone and Old Mazatlán. We stopped at a gift shop, and I found a mask so I was thrilled. Then we finished at Catedral Mazatlán Basilica de la Inmaculada Concepcion and the Mercado. A wedding was happening, so we tried to keep our distance and be respectful.
We stopped to grab an ice cream and cool off at Senior Frogs. This city has so many Senior Frogs-- it was insane. You turned a corner, and there was another one. They were popular. We stopped in one to cool down but didn’t get anything. We returned that evening and went to dinner. Ripley was good on the tour and didn’t fuss at all. He loved the cool breeze and enjoyed being out and about with his dads. A little traveler in the making!
Sunday was all about pools. We got up, ate a buffet, went to a pool, left to eat lunch at a buffet, and returned to the pool. Grant sneaked off to the spa and said the jacuzzies and steam rooms were nice. I am unsure why he needed to go there since it felt like a steam room with the heat and humidity outside, but he wanted more! I guess it’s great for the skin. Ripley was exhausted and kept falling asleep on top of us. The sun and pool wore him out. We will need to make sure we work on his endurance.
That evening, we ate at an Asian restaurant and then went to the airport. We boarded the flight, the flight was a little iffy as there was a medical emergency, but we landed in Tijuana without complications and returned a little past midnight. Spending quality time with Ripley for our first Father’s Day was a blast. Father’s Day was now more of a “Ripley Day,” as he is still only three months old and needs everything, but I have a feeling that will change when he becomes more independent! Right? Hopefully? Probably not!